The June 22nd edition of the My Food Comes from Ag Podcast features an interview with W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D

W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D

BIODuring his seven-year tenure with the FFA organization, Armstrong has overseen an era of dramatic growth and success. Under his leadership, the organization achieved an all-time record membership this year with 629,327 student members in grades seven through 12 in 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Attendance at the National FFA Convention & Expo grew significantly from 53,473 in 2009 to 65,173 in 2015, making it the nation’s largest annual student gathering. During Armstrong’s tenure, financial stability was strengthened for both the National FFA Foundation and the National FFA Organization. Under the banner of “We Are FFA,” Armstrong solidified close collaboration and complementary strategic direction for both FFA organizations. The National FFA Foundation staff achieved record results for the annual fundraising campaigns, while the area of individual giving was developed into a productive segment of fundraising for FFA. Armstrong provided the vision and executive guidance for development of the web-based resources of the FFA Agricultural Career Network which in turn paved the way for FFA’s “My Journey” and a tightened connection between secondary instruction in agriculture and industry’s need for talent and human resources. Armstrong was a champion of deepening FFA engagement in fighting food insecurity through its “Feeding Our World—Starting At Home” platform that enlisted FFA members in aggressive hunger-fighting efforts in local communities and overseas.

Armstrong is a native of Kentucky where he grew up on a small general farm. An active FFA member in high school, he earned a B.S. degree in agriculture from Murray State University in 1971 and Master’s (1973) and Ph.D. (1975) degrees from Purdue University in animal science. After serving on the faculty at North Carolina State University in the Animal Sciences Department 1975-1982, Armstrong built a career in the swine nutrition area beginning at Akey, Inc., in Lewisburg, Ohio, where he served as director of nutrition, director of sales and, finally, president. In 2000, the company was sold to Provimi, located in the Netherlands. There, Armstrong served as CEO of North American Nutrition Companies, director of the Americas and global group vice president. In 2008, he retired from Provimi to start his own consulting business in the animal nutrition and agribusiness areas. It was during his tenure at Provimi when Armstrong served as chair of the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board and led the drive to a record-setting annual fundraising campaign.

The June 22nd edition of the My Food Comes from Ag Podcast will feature my interview with W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D

Be sure to check out his bio:

During his seven-year tenure with the FFA organization, Armstrong has overseen an era of dramatic growth and success. Under his leadership, the organization achieved an all-time record membership this year with 629,327 student members in grades seven through 12 in 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Attendance at the National FFA Convention & Expo grew significantly from 53,473 in 2009 to 65,173 in 2015, making it the nation’s largest annual student gathering. During Armstrong’s tenure, financial stability was strengthened for both the National FFA Foundation and the National FFA Organization. Under the banner of “We Are FFA,” Armstrong solidified close collaboration and complementary strategic direction for both FFA organizations. The National FFA Foundation staff achieved record results for the annual fundraising campaigns, while the area of individual giving was developed into a productive segment of fundraising for FFA. Armstrong provided the vision and executive guidance for development of the web-based resources of the FFA Agricultural Career Network which in turn paved the way for FFA’s “My Journey” and a tightened connection between secondary instruction in agriculture and industry’s need for talent and human resources. Armstrong was a champion of deepening FFA engagement in fighting food insecurity through its “Feeding Our World—Starting At Home” platform that enlisted FFA members in aggressive hunger-fighting efforts in local communities and overseas.

Armstrong is a native of Kentucky where he grew up on a small general farm. An active FFA member in high school, he earned a B.S. degree in agriculture from Murray State University in 1971 and Master’s (1973) and Ph.D. (1975) degrees from Purdue University in animal science. After serving on the faculty at North Carolina State University in the Animal Sciences Department 1975-1982, Armstrong built a career in the swine nutrition area beginning at Akey, Inc., in Lewisburg, Ohio, where he served as director of nutrition, director of sales and, finally, president. In 2000, the company was sold to Provimi, located in the Netherlands. There, Armstrong served as CEO of North American Nutrition Companies, director of the Americas and global group vice president. In 2008, he retired from Provimi to start his own consulting business in the animal nutrition and agribusiness areas. It was during his tenure at Provimi when Armstrong served as chair of the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board and led the drive to a record-setting annual fundraising campaign.

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